Pondering Peonies

Until this summer, I've never really paid attention to peonies. Up until a few years ago, when someone mentioned peonies, I'd respond with, "those are the ginormous flowers that kinda look like carnations, right?"

I mostly associated peonies with the stifling heat of the south side of the house where the bush was located in our back yard, and the nervous energy that arose as one tried to predict whether there would be bumblebees present as we passed by the bush of blooming pink.

One of my friends quite loves peonies, and had placed some in the guest bedroom where I was staying last weekend. Their velvety appearance and soft fragrance encouraged me to pause and take them in both visually and aromatically for an extended moment. These are actually quite lovely.

Then, a couple days ago, a lady posted on Freecycle that she had some extra peonies on her bush that she'd be willing to cut for anyone who wanted some. Ooh, pick me, pick me! I came back with nine large flowers in pink and white, and promptly arranged them into vases for my kitchen, living room, and bedroom. The whole house smelled so fresh within 12 hours!

One of the stems included a blossom--roughly the size of a Timbit--that sat pearly white amidst the fluffy flowers around it. Yesterday, its outer petals opened, and then this morning at breakfast, I had to do a double take. It had exploded into layers of petals, the likes of which I couldn't have imagined were wrapped up in such a small budded bundle.*

Cue camera.

I think peonies are now on my list of top ten favourite flowers, and definitely one worth obtaining as I start to think about re-landscaping parts of my back yard over the next few years.

Oh, summer, you continue to delight and inspire!



*I feel there's a metaphor there somewhere. ...Ah, a different post.